Idle
by Stranded With Plums
Summary: Horatio/Calleigh These two need to talk it out.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own CSI Miami, though I wish I did because obviously Horatio and Calleigh would be together forever.

She said "Man, uh words fail me."

It been exactly 372 days, 14 hours, 22 minutes, and 13 seconds in counting since their last interaction. Sure they had surveyed each other in the hallway or locked eyes at meetings, but any real conversation had left the scene of the crime along with the jovial attitude that had seemed to hold them together as _friends._

Calleigh now spent her days in the ballistics lab, encircled by various weapons and her false sense of utopia. She knew that her interest in guns was all that she had left-she was no fool by any stretch of the imagination. But he-well he had to have been some kind of fool to allow her this heartache and misery alone without his healing aid. Lately though, his main mission in life was to fade as far away into the background of her life as he could-just so he could be with _her_. And what did _she_ know about him anyway? Nothing. _She_ knew nothing about his likes and dislikes, his passion that superseded all else in his life when it came to his job. This last bit made her smile inwardly-it was only a matter of time before Marisol saw the true Horatio Caine. She thought that her good looks, sultry smile, and mind-blowing bed habits would just suddenly dissolve his love of solving crime and earning justice for those whose lives had been wronged. In the end, Calleigh would still be technically spending more time with him than Marisol would if you count the fact that he worked in the same building as her and Marisol spent most of her day at home.

_I still win_, she thought hastily before firing another round, though victory was short-lived as she eyed a figure slinking out of the shadows in the hallway. Horatio smiled slightly and took the intruder by the arm as they made their way out the door. It was Marisol and how she was glistening more than ever in her new radiant jewelry and sparkling dress.

_What a hooch. I mean where does she think she is? A nightclub. This is Miami for gosh sakes in the middle of the day no less. _Calleigh fumed, but once again recaptured the fury that had fueled her previous shots.

This wasn't over.

(4:30 pm, Ballistics lab)

"Hey."

"Hey yourself Ryan," Calleigh's eyes never left the intended target, arms outstretched, gun in hand. She had perfect form.

"Okay, what's up with you may I ask-"

"No, you may not ask and do you need something Mr. Wolfe?" His expression changed immediately at her use of his given name. Something was bothering her, but knowing her, the words wouldn't just spill out for all to hear. He would have to be sneaky in is approach to untangling the knots that surrounded her utmost secrets. Though at this point he would never get the chance as Horatio picked that very moment to slide into the lab-no lady in hand, which was good for Calleigh.

"Ladies and gentleman." His stealth-like composure never wavered as his eyes scanned the wordless expressions belonging to two of his crew members. The results: Ryan always wore that same clueless stare like a deer in the headlights and well, Calleigh's features had turned to stone. Her mouth never twitched, her eyes portrayed a woman focused on justice, and her posture saluted confidence. The vibes radiating from her core alerted him to the fact that she was the least moved by his presence.

"Okay. Well, I've two suspects in custody, one admits to the shooting of Mrs. Wallace under duress, and the other is singing innocence," he took a moment to make sure that all in the room were up to speed, but what did catch his eye was the cold cemented gaze from Calleigh.

Parting her lips just enough to allow the words to escape, she calmly stated, "Of course one is going to blame the other for the shooting, while the leader of the group hides behind a mask of sanctity," Horatio raised an eyebrow as she continued, "My gosh, I thought you would have known that by now."

"I did know that and I wasn't shocked nor unprepared for their little kiss and tell game Calleigh." He clearly was pissed at her change in demeanor, but his snippy embellishment of her name hadn't set so well.

"Sure. Fine. Whatever. I gotta get back to work and finish this bullet analysis before you go parading in there with nothing more than an attitude and a string of lines," and with a flip of her head, Calleigh left the two men standing alone.

Ryan wanted nothing more than bolt under the nearest desk and hide, but that was out of the question, so he did something even better: he ran. Horatio watched as the young form of the detective flew down the hallway where it vanished around the corner. He then turned his attention back to Calleigh who had already replaced the ear muffs on her head with gun in hand. She could see out of the corner of her eye that he was mulling over what to do.

_Weigh your options big guy. I dare you to make my day._

Her palms absorbed the violent shock waves of the gun as it bit back in her hand, bullets flying like birds-this was control and today she was feeling very confident that she could whip anyone's ass including Horatio's if challenged. She fired her last round, afterwards allowing the dead silence to illuminate her bitter rage. Horatio remained for a few minutes afterward before releasing her from his gaze. Much to her disappointment, he turned quickly and walked away from her. She had lost.

(A few hours later)

Calleigh had noticed the change of pace around the office or more like the absence of hustle and bustle. The lack of human presence had transformed her lab and all surrounding areas into the likes of a quiet tomb-a catacomb if you wanted to truly get technical. The familiar echoes of voices made their way down the halls and into Calleigh's ears.

_Where have they been? Surely, they didn't go a crime scene without me..._

"Hey Calleigh!" Natalia came rushing into the lab with a worried expression tracing her features. "What happened to you? H said that you couldn't make it to the scene due to unforeseen circumstances."

Her blood boiled at the thought of Horatio Caine assuming anything of the sort when it came to her work ethic. She was the best on the team and he knew it so why was he using this as an excuse to screw with her? She'd have his head by the end of the day-they'd be calling her the Queen of Hearts before too long.

_Be a good name for me. Could use a few changes around here._

"Calleigh," Natalie waved her hands dramatically in front of her dreaming friend "What has gotten into you? You know maybe H was right. You should stay here until you can come back to the world of the working."

Her words hit Calleigh hard in the chest, but her resilient nature burned each and every one before they had a chance to penetrate their target-bullet girl scores again.

"Well, maybe he is right. After all, he knows all right." Natalia picked up on the sarcastic undertone of Calleigh's remark. Sighing with pseudo-righteous anger, she swung herself around and headed out of the lab without a backward glance.

"Whatever," the blonde mumbled under her breath and picked up another gun for testing. It felt so good to shoot bullets at a target. If only she could aim twice as good in real life when it came to Horatio, but bullets were of a different caliber than words...and words failed her.

She finished up her current case load for the day, locking up as she went, but making sure to strut past Horatio's door as she went. Unfortunately, the closer she got, the more she really didn't want to be seen by him . Taking slow, yet deliberate steps, she faced her agonizing trip down the hall piece by piece and found his light to be on.

_No! He can't still be here!_

She had to make a decision: either crawl her way past or run like a bat out of hell? Tough one, but it was sacrifice that she was willing to make in regards to her dignity. She never had a chance to choose her fate for the very one that she was trying to avoid stepped out of the door frame and waited for her arrival.

_I hate life! I hate my luck! Why! What a minute? I'm Calleigh and I can kick your girly ass..._

"Oh!" Her heart stopped in mid-beat as her small frame came into contact with that of the famed man in front of her.

His eyes showed no mercy for her earlier behavior and more than likely, he had waited around for her just to prove that he would not be toyed with by some woman's emotions.

_Stupid crap._

Dipping his head slightly to the right, he managed a small bit of conversation. "You wanna tell me what happened today." No question asked here, just a lure for more information and she disliked that greatly about him.

"Well, gee, you wanna tell me why you dared to keep me here amidst the bullets instead of alerting me about a crime scene that needed to be processed?" Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but his stance remained the same-unmoved by her need to push him to the limit.

"You tell me first Calleigh."

"Nothing was wrong," she admitted all too quickly. "Now you. Why?"

"I'm not impressed by your lack of feedback Calleigh so I suggest you go home and think long and hard about whether or not you intend to carry on further with your current attitude. There are potential repercussions as you well already know. Take for example today's mess that you found yourself in." Deadpan and serious were his weapons of choice when it came to emotional warfare and damn was he an expert at it.

Everything in her demanded that this man be annihilated and within seconds her brain and heart worked together to unleash an attack that he would soon not forget.

"Don't threaten me Horatio. Go home to your sad excuse for a girlfriend. You know the one who believes that she actually matters to you, but in the end you'll just rid yourself of like you always do and I once again will be there to help pick up the shattered pieces that you call a semblance of a life...,"

"Enough Calleigh. That's enough!" He rasped, his face mere inches away from hers.

She immediately regretted her assault of poison darts, but it was too late again. Emotions swirled through his pupils, his body moved of its own volition so that it now blocked Calleigh's up against the wall. Grasping the wall out of fear, her breathing turned ragged as two hands placed themselves on either side of her head. Now she wanted him close to her, but this was not how she had envisioned their first physical contact as something more than friends.

"Lets try this again. You wanna tell me what's going on?" Her eyes widened in anticipation of having to actually explain the reasoning behind her actions.

"You can start talking now or we can stay here all night Calleigh until you do. It's your choice," She knew he meant every word considering his night time wanderings.

"I...I...," Like the fumbling girl she was, the tears started to flow as her face flushed red with embarrassment. She cocked her head to one side in some sort of attempt to hide her flawed senses, but instead of witnessing the cold hard slam of rejection, mercy allowed her to experience a response of a different nature: forgiveness.

Opening her eyes once more, she felt Horatio's soft hand upon her cheek-his finger tips grazing her skin lightly, but all was not well. As if waking from a trance, he quickly removed his hand from her cheek, a pained expression crossed his face as he stared down at his hand and back up again to her face several times over. Did she burn him? She had to wonder as he turned his back on her, escaping into the confines of his office, and slamming the door as he went.

Silence. Too shocked to move, she slid to the floor...alone.

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own CSI Miami. Man it would be sweet if I did though! (Smiles mischievously)

Thanks to RedHotLover, mera222, LA Calleigh, Reluctant Flame, DuCaineFan1, Madam Thalia, emily-brat, celkin, and last, but never least, SVUCSIWTRDOOLluver

for your wonderful reviews. Thanks so much. :)

He said "Girl, are you crazy?"

It's amazing how quickly the brain removes damaging contents from conscious thought, effectively destroying all nightmarish formations that could potentially hurt an individual's well-being. Of course, this strategy is most successful when the offended and the offender do not have to be within close quarters day in and day out. No one really gets an opportunity to put the issue in its proper place. No, instead all involved are subjected to the constant reopening of fresh wounds that have sort of healed, but not really. This is the predicament in which Calleigh and Horatio found themselves at 8 am the next morning.

In fact, the whole event sent Horatio's mind into a kaleidoscope of fragmented colored pieces, but the iron man facade was still intact. Armed with a piercing stare and predictable mannerisms, he opened the door to Ryan's lab.

"Mr. Wolfe."

"You know, you can call me by my first name. I give you permission," Poor Ryan knew that he was stuck once again playing peace keeper for two very volatile individuals who seemingly yearned for anything but that.

"Yes, well, Ryan-I need for you to accompany Eric for another look around the crime scene regarding the Wallace case," Responding to the use of his first name, Ryan nodded in agreement before being dismissed by Horatio. "And remember, get the evidence and get back here," Anticipating Ryan's current confused state at his comment, Horatio continued on "No worries. Eric has all the details. Meet him at the front of the building in about five minutes and hop to it."

Still confused as ever, but prone to following directions regardless, Ryan checked his badge and gun before heading off to find his partner in crime.

"Hey Ryan, I got this...piece of...what are you doing here?" Calleigh had stepped right into a hornet's nest of emotional turmoil without warning for she had been busy researching in the back of Ryan's lab-out of ear shot and oblivious to Horatio's presence. She was mortified beyond all reason when the memory of last night's little rendezvous flashed across her conscious thought and suddenly all prior confidence that had been found the day before seemed to just seep from her body, leaving her wilted and small before Horatio's eyes.

"There is no need to shrivel away now my dear. I'll leave you to your job," His words were meant to build her back up again and into the sunlight-just as he liked her to be within his gaze, but the plan back fired and instead of disarming the situation, he only managed to cause her more harm.

"Why do you have to be so cruel," All the fight had left her, her heart lay on the floor before him. Would he have the courage to pick up?

"I'm not being cruel Calleigh, I was just trying to alert you to the fact that what happened last night should and will never change my perception of you as the effective ballistics member of our team." He watched her carefully, subtle movements were the key to unraveling her state of mind-something he was desperate at the moment to do.

"Don't worry about me Handsome," The smile playing upon her lips was not one of mercy nor forgiveness, noting that those were two emotions that he had willingly shown her last night, but neither were mirrored back at him. "I'm just fine without your pity. Go and gather _your_ team. Just let me know when _you_ need anything tested for a case-after all, my world does revolve around _you_."

He stood rigid as a pole, old ashes reignited into a full burning fire within the chambers of his heart. His mind was begging him to put her in her place for lack of respect towards a superior, but he couldn't bring himself to...

"Go get him big boy," Calleigh finished, swatting his rear as she walked on by. _Now_, he was going to put her in her place. All bets were off. She had gone too far this time.

Like a roaring lion, he turned around and formed a tight grip on her arm, spinning her back to meet him face to face. She was emotionally drained, he could tell, but this had to be done before the situation escalated further.

"You don't disrespect me Miss Duquesne. That I will not put up with," He clamped the other hand underneath her chin, but not to choke her, only to keep her face eye level with his. This was a mistake for as his fixed glare broke through her frightened expression, it was then that he noticed just how small and scared she could be when in his grasp.

"Horatio," A plea from the quivering lips of the blonde haired woman snapped him back into reality. He had to let her go. He had to allow her leave his controlled world-though not quite yet.

"Calleigh," His voice softer, his hand released her chin and slid down to her neck, gently caressing the unblemished skin. She made no move to run and he made it perfectly clear that he was not ready to grant her the exit that she may or may not have so desired.

"Horatio please," She once again begged for him stop his assault on her neck, his touch was bringing her down into his world.

"Calleigh, I...I...," His thumb graced the front of her throat, his finger tips soothed the area around the back of her neck, circling in her hair. He dared a glance and found her eyes to be closed in satisfaction, but he could also sense her awareness in the situation.

"Please."

That was all the encouragement his faltering mind needed as he focused in on her mouth, his lips closed in on her and she too lifted to meet him halfway. Closer, closer, closer, and closer still.

"Calleigh," He was not thinking clearly, but his wildly beating heart urged him.

_Slam_!

Both were jolted from their passion-filled states, Calleigh's eyes shot open and immediately assessed the situation. She quickly backed away from Horatio, who on the other hand had gone uncharacteristically pale in complexion.

"Marisol."

"What are you doing Baby?"

_Baby! What kind of...ugh! I think I'm gonna barf. His nick name is "H". Doesn't she know that by now? Wait, where is he going..._

"Nothing, lets go and get some fresh air shall we," He dodged the implication of guilt by once again turning on his shy and suave demeanor, which of course sucked her right in. She could have easily played the bewitched and confused Gretel by just being herself. Typical response.

He never looked back at Calleigh nor did she attempt to draw his attention away from the other woman. Figuring that he would have wanted her to fade into the background, she again opted for the echoless silence to comfort her broken heart.

Later on that night, Calleigh found herself awake with acidic knots forming in her stomach. She did not want to go to work in the morning-not with him there. They had come so close to actually sealing some sort of relationship status beyond the friendship realm, but for some reason she had tried to stop him today. She wanted him, yes, but only if he was hers and free to choose her as his own.

(The next morning)

"Damn H, you look like hell," Natalia remarked. Never before had she seen her boss so out of sorts. Could he be sick?

"Thanks. Listen, why don't you go and get the results for the Rosefelter case from Calleigh. I really need those results for the interview with the victim's son today."

"Sure, but why not just go and get them. I mean, you usually do when you're down there getting ready to go in for the kill, but what's stopping you now?" Her question was one created from ignorance, but this did not keep Horatio from ripping into her.

"Because I said so. Now go down there and retrieve the results!" His hand raised quickly, the perfectly pointed finger sent Natalia's bulging eyes towards the door. Doing as he asked, she exited without further questioning.

Practically bolting down the stairs and into the hallway, in which led one to the lab of the ballistics queen, her heart never slowed its pace and with great satisfaction she burst through the lab doors-undue anger resonated upon her face.

"Natalia what's wrong?" Calleigh looked up from her microscope, alarmed at her team mate's current state.

"What's wrong? Let me tell you something, you two need to talk this out, whatever it is that is causing such a ruckus because if he yells at me one more time like he did just now, I'm gonna come down here and slap you!"

"What...what are you talking about-"

Hastily reaching out for the Rosefelter folder, she snatched it up and away from Calleigh's prying eyes. "Just never mind. Forget it."

"I wasn't done with that yet!" Calleigh called with no response in tow.

"Hey!" She tried again without success.

"Shit. He's gonna be mad."

Scurrying back into H's office, her hand slammed down the much needed folder on his desk.

"Thank you, I guess."

"You're oh so welcome."

"Wait, there is nothing in here..." His eyes scanned the papers, but to his dismay the results had yet to be written down.

Throwing the folder to the side, he again took out his pent up angst out on Natalia "I asked you to get the results for me, what is so hard about that!"

"Don't yell at me H! I got the folder for you now you go down there and get the results. I'm outta here." She huffed in response to his glaring form, but still left his office out of need for her own sanity.

Calleigh waited for the doomed foot falls of her boss and as expected, they came clamoring down the hallway at an accelerated speed and just as Natalia had only minutes before, the door swung open with enormous force.

"I need the results Calleigh. I have an interview in a half an hour and right now I don't even have the facts to nail the suspect for his mother's death."

"Horatio, I'm sorry. I have the results here," Calleigh lifted herself from her seated position and worked her way around the equipment so that she could stand beside Horatio.

He took the notes from her, cast an undecipherable look, and promptly cocked his head to once side. His stare cleaned the floor and he sighed heavily, but never once did he make a move to reach for her face as he had done prior and this stall in emotional growth made her insides cringe with regret. She needed him to tell her that her mistake was simply just that-a mistake and not a reflection upon her character.

No matter how much she hoped, his silence only confirmed her worst fear-she had been lowered in his eyes. Her skills were seamless, but her character flawed and now he was judging her with a one-time mishap.

"Horatio," she murmured. No response.

"I've got to go Calleigh."

She watched him leave her. Death would have been more gracious than he.

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own CSI Miami.

Thanks to LA Calleigh, emily-brat, celkin, RedHotLover, Reluctant Flame, Mishelle20, HelloHandsomee, and CSIMiamiLuver2012 for your reviews. And thanks to all who read the story-you guys are the best.

Guess I could die another day

It had been one dead end after another. No leads, but like good little csi workers, they kept on pushing the brick wall that had strategically placed itself in between them and the key to solving the case. There were no losers and yet if they did figure out the puzzle that lay before them, there weren't necessarily winners either-someone was still dead. They had just managed to help aid in the healing process of various family members left behind.

"What's up?" Ryan's frown had become a permanent fixture as of late.

"Nothing, just analyzing these samples. How about you? You sleeping?"

"Naw, like you, I'm staying up all hours of the night, thinking, pacing, eating, ironing..." Calleigh lifted her head suddenly, staring Ryan in the face, she let out a well-deserved laugh causing both to relax slightly.

"Ah, well, if you're going to iron, then how about you iron my stuff when you get the chance. You know if you're so desperate for fun and all," giving Ryan a little wink, he pulled a face, but thanked her for the offer.

"You know I'm just kidding, right?"

"Yeah, I know, I just think that if I did something as personal as that for you that I might have a few ass-kickings waiting for me when I arrived," Calleigh's eyebrows furrowed slightly at the comment, but further elaboration would have to cease as both detectives turned their heads to greet their boss.

"H, what's happenin'? Got any good news for us?"

"Ryan, what the hell is the matter with you?" Calleigh focused in on the young man, his forehead was sweating and he wore dark circles under his eyes. She decided that sleep deprivation was the probable cause, but still....

"Ah, nothing Ryan, and I do have a little piece of information for our ballistics member here..."

"And her name is Calleigh...for the fifteenth time this week," she honestly hadn't meant to kill the peaceful mood, but she was damn tired of being referred to as the ballistics member of the team.

"Yes, Calleigh. I have some info," His eyes shown brightly within the dimly lit room and not out of jest, but with something more than benign.

"I'm gonna leave now...again...just call me if you need me," Wolfe knew when to head for the hills and this time he didn't even stop for a second glance-he just fled.

Flipping her eyes back to Horatio, she shifted into attack mode, "You damn well know my name."

"Of course I know your name, but you're not making this any easier."

"_I _am not making this any easier! I mean, who the hell do you think you are!" Her voice had escalated past the inside voice realm and was now teetering on the brink of screaming.

"Enough, I am not going to do this here," his frustration was becoming more evident with each word that flew out of her mouth. Hurting her was not an option...unless she refused to listen.

"Do what here? Break me into twelve little pieces! Newsflash-you've already done that! So take your skills elsewhere and leave me a-" her rant was interrupted by hands grabbing both sides of her face and pushing her back against the wall. Opening her scrunched eyes, she felt herself flush with his body, his stare tearing into her.

"Horatio-" something stopped her plea for release. His focus, like many times before, seemed to waver between her gaze and her mouth.

_Oh shit! Here we go again._

.......Never breaking contact, he lowered one hand from her face, fingers trailing as they went, until it had sufficiently planted itself around her collarbone. She let out an inaudible sigh, her eyes closing, both heart and mind relishing the touch. Taking her current state as means to carry on with his assault, he carefully allowed his hand to softly slide farther down, gently grazing her chest.

"Ah," was all she could muster. He was driving her insides mad.

She felt him still, her body writhed in protest hoping to convince him to continue-it worked. The next thing she knew, his hand was making its way down from her chest to her side. Jolting away from the tickling sensation that his hand seemed to cause, she reprimanded herself for such an action. If she kept on this way, he would never touch her again-not like this anyway.

"Horatio...please..."

"Hmmmm..."

Letting go of all reason, she flipped her head back in ecstasy, bringing about another moan from Horatio. She felt him nearing her stomach, maybe below, but then again her awareness of the situation had been shot all to hell. It was then that she felt his hands shoot back up her sides, over her chest, past her cheeks, finally gathering at the nape of her neck. Pulling her face upward so that she was eye-level, she never dared a glance at his face, but all was forgotten when lips met lips. Fueled by unspoken emotions an unmet needs, Calleigh's leg wrapped itself around his waist, which caused his hand to fly underneath her thigh for support.........

"Calleigh. Calleigh I need you to pay attention. Calleigh!"

_Did I just...no...I can't have just daydreamed that whole scenario?_

Her suspicions regarding the last sixty seconds were proven correct, for no sooner had she crashed back into reality, she felt the back of her head hit the wall.

Dazed, but conscious, she let out a yelp followed by, "Ow! Please stop!"

"When I'm talking I expect you to pay attention." She found his face dangerously close to hers. Every word dripping with malice, his dark irises cloudy with...hatred?

He turned to make his expected escape when Calleigh grabbed the extra fabric of his suit jacket.

"You don't just come in here, disrespect me, and then walk away like it doesn't matter. I'm your coworker! I deserve some respect...I think I've earned it...."

_Bang!_

Calleigh's current expression of ferocious indignation quickly melted into one of utter shock. A man whom she had known for many years, characterized by little to no emotional vulnerability, had just picked up a chair and thrown it across the room over the nearest corner. Sweeping over his rigid form, she found his opposing stance to be quite frightening, however, she was trapped.

"Please leave," her small voice, though controlled, commanded a great deal of the man standing before her. He was not used to be told what to do, but if she didn't try and diffuse the situation quickly...well, she didn't want to think of the possibilities.

"If you had just listened to me...," she watched effortlessly as he placed his signature sunglasses on his nose, the other hand had taken residence on the side of his hip.

Giving her one last penetrating look, "Just do your job. It that's not too much to ask," the words came in echoed form as he made his exit towards the back of the lab.

"How am I supposed to fight this?" The friendly silence caught her question, chewed it up, and effectively spit back out at her. No answer, no peace for now. Internalizing her loss, she allowed a stray tear to roll down her cheek. She was definitely in trouble this time.

(Calleigh's apartment, 10 pm)

The day had been one hellish nightmare. After her altercation with Horatio, she saw to it that the rest of her work hours were spent away from his prying eyes. She had managed to distance herself both physically and mentally away from him, but cutting ties emotionally was proving to be harder than originally thought.

"Damn him," her mind was struggling to wrap itself around the idea that in all reality, the man that she thought she knew could quite possibly no longer exist.

_Knock! Knock!_

Her stomach sank, coated with an insidious feeling, she willed her feet to the door. Peeking out the peep hole, there stood the infamous Horatio Caine-sunglasses and all.

"Shit!" Running a shaking hand through her messy hair, she began to weigh her options carefully: Calling the police-isn't it first on everyone's list, escaping out through the back bathroom window, ignoring him until he went away, or let him in and actually have another one of _those _conversations again.

_Ignore him and maybe he'll go away._ Inhaling a glob of air, her lungs stilled. She waited with newfound patience, hoping that her choice would have the desired effect intended.

_Knock! Knock!_

No such luck. "Calleigh, I know you're home so open the door."

"How about I don't and you go back and get into your car and leave." Sounded like a reasonable demand...if the person stalking her door had been anyone else.

"Calleigh, I just want to talk to you. That's all."

_What have you got to lose? Nothing. Let him in._

Gracefully opening the door, she caught her first glimpse of the man behind the words. Still dressed in his work attire, her eyes quickly adverted to the area of cloth on his jacket that had passed in between her fingers earlier when she went to grab him. She shivered in response, but covered the memory's effect by grabbing her robe from an adjacent chair.

"Cold?"

"Yeah." Smiling slightly at her southern drawl, he passed through the doorway, well aware of her scanning his face for any signs of false motives.

Noticing his abrupt hesitation, she tried to sooth his uncertainty with an "Ah, the couch is fine." Motioning towards the white sofa, he carefully lowered himself onto a soft cushion at the opposite end, leaving room for her to sit as well, however, the day's earlier events persuaded her to take a seat nearby on a matching armchair.

Nodding in recognition of her chosen place regarding their seating arrangements, he brought his hands to his forehead, leaning over the caps of his knees.

She waited expressionless as he prepped his mind for the beginning of a conversation he would rather not have at the moment...or ever. Alas, calm words flowed from his lips. "I need to explain why..."

"Why are you here?" The question side-swiped her visitor into complete confusion, but she felt it was of more value to obtain the real reason for his intrusion before subjecting her ears to any more of his apology.

"I'm here to make amends. I don't think today's actions were appropriate. I should have..."

"You scared the hell out of me Horatio." His eyes remained fixed upon her face, the same dangerous spark was beginning to ignite within his pupils.

She watched intently as he brought up both hands to his mouth, subsequently covering his lips with a fist of interlaced fingers. A barely audible response escaped, "Are you going to let me finish."

"Sure, go ahead." A twinge of guilt registered within her mind for causing him a little more irritation than necessary.

_Let him finish with his little spiel and then he can get the hell out!_

Nodding in approval of her brain's suggestion to their current problem, Horatio took the gesture as yet another signal to continue without further interruption.

"Okay, as I was saying, I am truly sorry for today's antics. I didn't mean to harm you or hurt you in any way," halting the discussion, he lent forward from his sitting position, reaching for her hand, "I'm sorry."

Eagle-eyeing his intruding hand as it made its way down onto the table, trying to grasp for hers, a lightening-speed reaction retracted her pale hand back onto her lap for safety measures.

"Why are you afraid? You've never been before. In fact, I can recall a few times when you've been a little more than friendly..." The implication caused her jaw to drop, pure astonishment coloring her features.

_Is he serious?_

"Alright, get out!" In a flash, her seat was vacated in exchange for a standing position by the open door. There were no pointed fingers or sly movements to suggest that he go, only a very stoic Calleigh, her bullish stature effectively slicing the conversation in two. Death to the enemy.

Matching her mark for mark in confidence and stride, he shot her a disapproving glance. She never wavered under his glare-eyes focused, victory hers to be enjoyed.

"We'll talk more some other time. For now, get some sleep." Producing sunglasses from his jacket pocket, his iciness became subdued slightly, its penetration dulled under shades of plastic and glass.

"I'll see you tomorrow at work. Good night." Did he deserve so much as a good night from her considering his behavior-revenge said no, but her common sense begged her to keep the atmosphere between them as placid as possible.

"See you." She didn't wait for him to turn around before closing the door.

Listening, ear to the door, she waited for the sound of his footsteps to evaporate before allowing her calm facade to shatter into pieces. One thing was certain as she cried without reserve-she was damn tired of wasting her emotions on this man. Something had to be done and soon.

TBC.....


End file.
